302 BEPORTS FEOM THE SECTIONS. 



down the walls of tlie cells tlirough the fluid, uniting, separating, 

 and reuniting, being never at rest, "presenting a wonderful 

 scene of vital activity." Referring to Drosera hinata, I would 

 again remark that I have noticed this action is entirely confined 

 to the cells next the spiral column or duct. 



It has been surmised that the inflection of the tentacle is pro- 

 duced by the contraction of the cells, caused by the pressure of 

 the irritating or exciting object, and consequent increased aggre- 

 gation of the germs against the walls in the cells, sending its 

 motor impulse down the tentacle to the base, at which part it 

 seems to bend, but considerable difference of opinion has been 

 expressed on this point. Mr. Darwin says : — " On the whole, the 

 belief that the walls of certain cells contract, some of their 

 contained fluid being at the same time forced outwards, perhaps 

 accords best 's\'ith the observed facts. If this view is rejected, 

 the next most probable one is that the fluid contents of the cells 

 shrink, owing to a change in their molecular state, with the con- 

 sequent closing in of the walls. AnylioW) the movement can 

 hardly be attributed to the elasticity of the walls, together with 

 a previous state of tension." 



No comparison can be made with the action of the " Sensitive 

 Plant " {Mimosa piidieci) in the closing of its leaflets when 

 irritated, this being merely mechanical and assumed nightly by 

 the plant as if in repose, whereas the secretion from the inflected 

 tentacles continues without interruption until the whole of the 

 juices of the exciting object have been absorbed. The effect of 

 a shower of rain on the Sensitive Plant would immediately close 

 the leaflets, whereas heavy rain or water falling in large drops 

 from a considerable height do not in the least move the 

 tentacles of the Drosera. 



On observing some of the inflected tentacles after the capture 

 of an insect, one cannot but be struck with the change effected 

 in them, compared with those taken from the plant in its normal 

 condition. The red colouring matter, heretofore confined to the 

 gland, has now descended the green pedicel as far as the base, 

 and apparently granulated into cakes, also on the outside of the 

 gland towards the head may be seen numerous black nuclei, 

 possibly the mouths of channels leading into the spiriferous 

 cells or the same, nevertheless the protoplasm in the pedicel is 

 still moving, though slowly, and slig'htly agglomerated. This 

 would in a measure show a tendency of the fluid to flow towards 

 the mid-rib of the frond caused by the action of absorption. 



Placing small pieces of raw meat on a healthy full-grown 

 plant, I found that within three hours the marginal tentacles 

 were inflected, and in twenty-four hours the meat was completely 

 enveloped in their folds — the leaves as well as the tentacles of 

 Drosera spathiilata being entirely curled over it. On separating 



